CKUA’s newest fill-in host has a history with the station that goes back more than a decade. We caught up with Joe Hartfeil to ask him about his work, his taste in music, and the song that gets him (and his daughter) ready to go in the morning.
“I first volunteered at CKUA around fifteen years ago,” says Hartfeil. “That was my initial step into broadcasting. That experience inspired me to study Radio and Television Arts at NAIT, concluding with a work term at CKUA. After that, I got to be a short-term employee, as an interim Arts and Culture reporter. I’ve stayed in touch with many of the CKUA folks through the years. Over the last few years, I’ve been listening to CKUA more than ever, connecting with the station’s increasingly adventurous programming. So I put myself out there, and it worked out for me to be a fill-in host.”
He enjoys the role. He recently hosted Thoroughfare for a whole week, and says, “To be a radio host is to be invited into someone’s home. We are hosts, but we are also being hosted. I learn from the listeners and my colleagues and hope I can share something of myself. I take the ‘guest’ part of guest-hosting seriously. I hope to have my own sound, but I want to respect the vibe of the show. I want to be ready for each assignment, but I equally love to be surprised by the library, by new music.”
He also loves it when people get in touch with feedback and requests. “I get such great and surprising musical suggestions from the listeners.”
It’s difficult for Hartfeil to choose a favourite artist or style of music, but he does enjoy a particular song that he and his five-year-old daughter listen to often.
“Sometimes in our house we need what my kid calls get-up-and-go songs. One of our favourites is Freddie King’s ‘Going Down.’ After we hear that, we get our shoes on, and we get out the door.”
